Eagles Auxiliary offers thanks for helping solve mystery
Members of the Eagles Aerie and Eagles Auxiliary present Dale Coffelt with a quilt for his role in helping solve the mystery of Bones, a skeleton once used by the lodge for initiation purposes. The anatomical skeleton is now being used by the Bonner County Coroner's Office to help with identification of bones discovered in the region or brought into the office. Pictured from left are Kirsten Leblanc, Vickie Dawson, Dale Coffelt, Dwayne Davis, David Dawson and Keith Booth.
Photo by CAROLINE LOBSINGER
SANDPOINT — When they had a mystery to solve, Dale Coffelt didn't hesitate.
When the Eagles Lodge decided the needed to solve the mystery of the skeleton they'd used in rituals, they turned to the long-time funeral home owner for help. Coffelt pulled in friend Robert Beers, Bonner County coroner.
Add in help from the University of University of Montana's Forensic Anthropology Laboratory, often used by local agencies when bones are found or they need help identifying unknown remains, and soon the Sandpoint fraternal organization had the answers.
Long referred to as "Bones," it turns out the skeleton was an anatomical skeleton used for education, with where and how it had been held together still visible. The study determined Bones was an anatomical skeleton likely imported from southeastern Asia at some point. A male, Bones was an adult between 25 and 40, between 5-foot-1 and 5-foot-6 in height. The skeleton shows a combination of European and Asian characteristics and could potentially be from India.
"All analyses indicate a possible mixed European and Asian ancestry, but this result should be considered with caution in consideration of the highly variable nature of ancestry-related skeletal markers and inconsistency of reference samples," UM officials said in a report of their findings. "Additionally, based on this data and the known origins of anatomical specimens, the individual could potentially be from India."
The Sandpoint Aerie was not unique in using an anatomical skeleton as part of its rituals. Many fraternal organizations used skeletons, some real and some plaster, as a reminder that death comes to all, regardless of status or money. While such specimens are largely no longer used, many groups are faced with how to handle the remains. Some are buried, some are donated to museums or universities, and some have even come up for sale.
To thank Coffelt for starting the ball rolling and tapping into his resources to help find answers — and to ensure Bones was treated with respect, Vicki Dawson tapped into her own resources to create a special quilt featuring antique and vintage vehicles to pay tribute to the funeral home owner's love of such vehicles.
Dawson, a member of the local Sandpoint Eagles Auxiliary, members of the Eagles Lodge and Eagles Auxiliary recently presented Coffelt with the quilt.
At the time of the presentation, Dawson said it felt right to thank Coffelt and to show their appreciation for him helping solve the mystery, something which dates back to October 2020.
Coffelt and Beers were quickly able to determine what Bones was, but beyond that, it wasn't until they were able to connect with the UM Forensic Anthropology Laboratory that they had the deeper answers to his identity.
Bones now has a home at the coroner's office where he will be used to help identify remains brought into the office or discovered in the field. There is, all sides said previously, a certain satisfaction that Bones will be used for education and helping others.
Beers said the skeleton will be an invaluable tool for the coroner's office to help identify bones as human or non-human and from what part of the body it comes from.